UNPLAN Village Hakuba – Hostel

The breakfast pancakes, granola, yoghurt, and coffee were a filling start before a day of boarding. We also didn't hear the bar noise from the 3rd floor, though it may be different on the lower floors. Being able to walk to the gondola was great. We enjoyed staying at UNPLAN Village. Arther at reception and her manager were very helpful with sorting out our parking and rooms.

The dorm beds were clean, and the whole place has a relaxed feel. The shared area is great, with free coffee and tea, and you can get breakfast in the morning. Staff are really nice too. It's cheap, and I'd recommend staying here. The pods do get quite hot, though, so air conditioning or a fan would help. That's the only downside, everything else was perfect.

There was loud noise outside the hotel every single night, and I couldn't sleep. Every time I went in or out of the dry room, I got hit with secondhand smoke, or sometimes smoke right in my face. The staff were amazing at sending automated messages after 9pm and ignoring the emergency phone line. Once the front desk closed, I was stranded alone while staff went home or to the bar instead of doing their jobs. Drunk people from that bar also threw snowballs at my window. I had to wait for hotel staff to finish using the table and coffee machine before I could get a turn. The bar staff played music until 3am and mocked me when I asked them to keep it down after 10pm. The wifi was completely fake and couldn't reach the internet. 0/10. I wish I could give it negative stars. What a lovely place.

The room was impressively quiet once I pulled the curtain closed, and there’s a laundry room plus a drying room. It’s near the gondola station and a rental shop. The staff are friendly and speak English really well. It isn’t the cheapest hostel around, but I still think it’s worth the price.